This invention is directed generally to the binding of books, and in particular is concerned with a method in which front and back covers are secured to book blocks in creating a case bound book.
Sheet binding is one of the oldest known arts, and numerous methods and apparatuses are known in the art for permanently or temporarily securing sheets together. Many of these, of course, are only economically suited for high priced or high volume commercial printing operations. There is a long standing need for a book binding means adapted for localized, simple and inexpensive creation of books from, for example, short runs of books of 1 to about 100 that are from about 0.24 to about 1.0 inches thick.
This need has been greatly increased by the widespread use of xerographic equipment, where large numbers of printed sheets are produced by relatively unskilled personnel in non-commercial printing operations. There is a need in the finishing industry for an upscale hardback cover look which transforms the utilitarian soft cover type bound copy set into an expensive looking bound book. Attempts have been made in the past at filling this need. For example, in one bindery system, attachment holes must be punched in all pages that are to be placed within hardback covers. This is a slow and tedious process. There is also the substantial cost of the punching and case centering devices. There is a need to move the printing of books from traditional offset to xerography by simplifying the binding methods and enabling binding on demand, on-site at the printshop. Generally, books are offset printed at one location and sent out to be bound.